2/195 ~ JOHN NATHANIEL MARCH
I am very encouraged whenever New Zealand’s from the retail industry are moved to respect the significance of medals over the possibility of profiting from their sale. In this particular case contact with Medals Reunited NZ was initiated when a First World War medal came into the possession of a Christchurch pawnshop. The manager was hopeful we would be able reunite it with the family rather than it be retailed to the general public.
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In August 2017 I published a story about the return of a First World War medal, a 1914-15 Star which had been found many years ago in a Halswell market gardener’s abandoned farm shed by a then young schoolboy Trevor Platt.** The medal Trevor had found was named to WILLIAM HENRY MARCH which we were able to successfully reunite with a direct descendant of the March family.
An email sent to me from the manager of one of the ‘Pawnshops’ in Christchurch, Craig Giddens, said a client of theirs had brought in a WW1 Memorial Plaque (aka ‘Death Plaque’, ‘Death Penny’, ‘Deadman’s Penny’ or ‘Widows Penny’) as security for a $200 cash loan. The loan had been made well over a year before but the client had not been back to redeem the pawned plaque. Whenever a customer fails to return for their pawned item, it is either listed on Trade-me or sold to the public from the store. In this particular case Craig had been curious about the history of the plaque and his research led him to the Medals Reunited NZ webpage. Craig was interested to learn that we had previously researched the MARCH family and successfully reunited Trevor Platt’s medal with a family descendant. Craig went on to say: “We at the Pawnshop are reluctant to list this item on Trade-Me if there are family members that would appreciate the plaque. I would be appreciated if you are able to make contact with the relations of the March family and let them know that we have this medal.”
As it transpired I had planned to be in Christchurch the following week so was able to meet with Craig and returned to Nelson with the plaque. The Memorial Plaque was named to JOHN NATHANIEL MARCH, the brother of William Henry March who I was familiar with as a result of reuniting a medal of William’s with the same family as this Memorial Plaque was going to.
Note: ** RIP – Trevor Platt passed away unexpectedly in Brisbane in April 2021. You can read the story of William Henry March’s medal here >> 1914/15 Star
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Immigration
William Henry MARCH Snr (1839-1880) was an Agricultural Labourer from Woodleigh, Kingsbury in the English county of Devon. William lost his first wife Susan OLDRIEVE (1835-1863) of St Germans in Cornwall at the age of 28, five years after their only son Lewis March had been born in 1858. William re-married another Cornish woman, Mary Ann CROSSMAN (1832-1911) from Botus Fleming in 1867 with who he had nine children, two of who died before they were 21. With one daughter married and an older son making his own way as a farmer, William and Mary together with their five remaining children – Sophia Ann (16), Nathaniel (14), William Henry [Jnr] (9), Edward Philip (4) and Elizabeth Lois (1) boarded the Rangitikei at Plymouth with 293 other NZ bound migrants, and departed for Christchurch on 4 Dec 1875.
After a very fast passage of just 73 days (usually 90-100+ days) with predominantly fine weather at least as far as Tasmania, Captain Scotland Master of the Rangitikei nosed her through the Port Cooper (Lyttleton) heads on 16 Feb 1876, dropping anchor off Ripapa Island at 2.30 p.m. Once the March family had disembarked, over the ensuing days they had to make their way on foot via the Bridle Path from Lyttelton over the Cashmere Hills to one of the two Christchurch Immigration Barracks, one located in Market Square (now Victoria Square) and the other at Addington (most likely this one). As it happened, the original Lyttelton Immigration Barracks on the corner of Oxford Street and Norwich Quay which had been in use since 1851, had been was closed for demolition shortly before the March family arrived. William, Mary and their family eventually settled in Upper Riccarton where William took up labouring work. By 1881, the March’s had left Christchurch and travelled south to the small rural settlement of Waterton near Ashburton, where William had secured work at the Longbeach Estate. Longbeach, owned by another Cornish immigrant, John Grigg, was a vast area of swamp land that covered approximately 15 square kilometres. Grigg’s need of a great number of men to help make the land useable was a project that would guarantee work for years, for those who were inclined.
By 1885, Nathaniel March was the first of William’s sons to join him at Longbeach, as a Labourer. William Henry [Jnr] and Edward Philip March were schooled at Waterton and once of working age, also joined their father and Nathaniel at Longbeach as Labourers, Edward later being employed as one of the Station’s Bakers. The boys lived on the Station or at home in Waterton which was only a couple of kilometers north of Longbeach. When each had married, they returned to Waterton to make their homes.
Waterton
Waterton whad been founded in 1876, mainly in answer to a need for accommodation of labourers, the majority of who were employed at the evolving Longbeach Estate. The hub of the community was the Waterton Hotel which was situated on the corner of Fords Creek Rd (now Russell Rd) and Grahams Road. Its doors were opened in 1879 about the time the March family arrived in Waterton. By 1888 the settlement had its own very well used town hall. Economic activity was related to agriculture, with an abattoir and a flour mill also located in the town.
At its height, Waterton was a service town for the immediately surrounding rural area. Waterton became home to 235 people and had amenities such as a general store, post office, public library, hotel, and a school (one of seven in the general area). The Waterton population swelled as Longbeach increased its productivity and accordingly, staff to run it. New arrivals at Waterton were initially accommodated in the commodious, 24-room Waterton Hotel that boasted a sea view from one of its balconies and was apparently renowned for its “sumptuous table.”
Nathaniel March’s brother Edward Philip married Christchurch girl Annie Gertrude ANDREWS (1873-1949) in 1895. In 1899, Edward and Annie succeeded a Mr Burkitt as the Licensees of Waterton Hotel. Their tenure as hotel-keepers however was relatively short lived, ending in 1903 along with nine another ‘wet’ hotel licensees when the pro-temperance vote for alcohol prohibition in Ashburton was upheld in a 1902 referendum. Alcohol in the early days of New Zealand was an overwhelming problem that threatened many communities however, in Ashburton sixty one percent had voted in favour of it being a ‘No-License’ area. Ashburton and its associated rural areas remained ‘dry’ for the next 46 years until 1949 when the vote for reinstatement of liquor licenses, with the caveat that licenced establishments were to be community controlled by a licensing trust, finally won the day. The Waterton Hotel never opened again and was eventually dismantled and used for stock yards and farm buildings.
During the latter half of the 20th century, Waterton declined severely as the requirement for labourers moved elsewhere. Waterton is now a ghost town. Nothing visible remains of the township apart from the local cemetery that was about a kilometre from the site that was occupied by the hotel.
Nathaniel March (25) was the first to marry, in 1886 to 24 year old local girl Margaret Ann “Annie” WILLIAMS (1862-1936). At Waterton they raised a family of five – William Henry “Billy” March (1886-1959), Edith Lois “Edie” March (1888-1921), John Edward “Ted” March (1890-1966), John Nathaniel “Jock” March (1892-1915) and Annie Jane March (1894-1982). All attended the Waterton School before the men were old enough to join the ranks of the numerous staff required to run Longbeach.
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Longbeach
The Longbeach Estate bounded the Pacific coast and was situated adjacent to the mouth of the Hinds River. It was about 21 kilometers S-E of Ashburton and 12 kilometers N-E of Tinwald. Each of the brothers had initially resided in rudimentary accommodation provided for staff however as they progressively were married, Waterton became their home and to which a good proportion of the Longbeach employees looked to situate their families.
John Grigg
Longbeach was the vision and reality of Cornish farmer John Grigg who was born in 1828. He inherited from his father a freehold farm in Devon, which he sold in 1853, and then sailed for Australia (with his siblings) in the ship Blackwall, reaching Melbourne early in 1854. John remained only about six months in Australia and then came to New Zealand. He farmed at Otahuhu, near Auckland for 10 years. After one unsuccessful venture exporting potatoes to Australia, Grigg proved his versatility. His early achievement in establishing a pure-bred flock of Leicester sheep was indicated by his success as a show-ring exhibitor at the New Zealand Exhibition held in Dunedin in 1865. He also experimented successfully with cross-breeding Leicesters and merinos and imported much modern agricultural technology.
In 1863 he purchased 2,135 acres south of Ashburton, in partnership with his brother-in-law Thomas Russell. The Grigg family, including John’s sisters, step-sisters and brother, lived in Christchurch for several years whilst John Grigg began farming the Longbeach Estate and establishing dwellings. He purchased the Chertsey Accommodation House and transported it by bullock wagon through the Ashburton River to the farm – this was to be the first Longbeach homestead. The Griggs moved from Christchurch to Longbeach in 1872, arriving in a convoy of horses and wagons that had to cross the swamp to their new home. The homestead garden was first established in 1864 with trees planted as shelterbelts against the North West winds. The garden prospered over the years as each generation of the Grigg family continued with plantings and maintenance. Today there is 16 acres of sweeping lawns and garden surrounding the station’s homestead.
One of John Grigg’s priorities was to drain the swamp for which he employed teams of men to undertake the work. As it was drained, extensive crops were rapidly established so that by 1879 there were 1,200 hectares in wheat, oats and barley, 120 hectares in peas, five hectares in roots and forage crops plus 200 hectares for hay.
Between 1880 and 1884 he began confining the Hinds River by cutting a system of open drains which helped drain the swamp and then laying clay tiles which were made on the property at an estimated cost of 2 to 4 pounds per acre to deal with the constant seepage. The work required a considerable work force as well as the supporting facilities. Tiles were laid at a rate of 50kms a year leaving a network of at least 240kms of tile drains and 112kms of eleven parallel open drains, thanks to the many hundreds of hours put in by teams to do this work. The clay tiles are still in place today.
As Longbeach’s arable land area and stock numbers increased, so too did the number of workers required to run the Estate. Longbeach became a self-supporting Community with its own Post Office, School, General Store, Flourmill, Brickworks, Church, Smithy, Bakery, Cookhouse as well as Stables, Cowsheds, Pig Sties and Woolshed. The Church which is today situated in the homestead gardens was bought for £30 in 1873 from Prebbleton (outskirts of Christchurch) and moved on skids by oxen. It was dedicated by the Primate of New Zealand, Bishop H.J. Harper and the burial ground near the Church was also consecrated. By 1884, Longbeach had a staff of 200 and was running 28,000 sheep, 1000 head of cattle, 150 working horses (hacks), 3000 pigs plus there was 2000ha in wheat, 1200ha in oats and other vegetable crops.
The present Longbeach Station homestead is the third on roughly the same site. It was completed in 1940 after the second home was burnt to the ground in 1937, and is constructed from bricks originally made on the property and salvaged from the fire that destroyed the second homestead. Longbeach has also been graced by royalty, the Duke of York (later King George VI and Queen Mother) visiting in 1927, and Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip refreshed here during the 1953-54 Royal Tour of New Zealand.
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In 1882 the heavily mortgaged Longbeach Estate was put up for sale, due to the amicable end of the agreement between Thomas and John. John purchased back 16,000 hectares and 13,000 sheep and concentrated on lamb fattening. He was also interested in dairying and his son, John Charles Nattle Grigg, was sent to source the best dairy cattle he could find. He settled on Dutch Friesian cattle, descendants of which are still important in local dairy herds today. Besides devoting great enterprise, intelligence, and energy to the development of “Longbeach Station” John Grigg actively assisted in the establishment of the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company and the Belfast Freezing Works. When the first shipment of frozen meat left New Zealand on the SS Dunedin in 1882, Longbeach mutton carcasses of Shropshire sheep John Grigg Snr had bred especially for the English market, were part of the cargo. He remained a major architect of New Zealand’s frozen-meat export trade thereafter. In addition, he took active roles in the management of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association, the work of the Ashburton County Council, the Longbeach Road Board and the Longbeach School committee. He was also for some time a member of the House of Representatives.
John Grigg is remembered as an innovator and man of strength, a man of quick temper but generous to a fault. He died at Longbeach on the 7th of November, 1901, in his 74th year, and was buried in the Longbeach churchyard beside his wife Martha who had predeceased him in December 1884. The magnitude of John Grigg’s pioneering contribution to the local and national economy, his community and the growth of Ashburton was recognised after his death with a statue erected in his honour in Baring Square, Ashburton.
Longbeach has remained in the same family, passing from John Grigg to son J.C.N. Grigg, and on to his son John Hutton Grigg (1895-1974). The Station then passed to J.H. Grigg’s daughter and son in law, Virginia and David Thomas from whence the current 5th and 6th generation owners are derived, Bill and Penny Thomas and their four children. Bill Thomas was just 23 when he took over running Longbeach from his mother Virginia and her husband David Thomas in 1985. Somewhat smaller than the original, the ‘Longbeach Estate Ltd’ still maintains 900ha in crops, runs a 270ha dairy unit, plus a Chapel and Cookshop in original restored buildings that are hired out for weddings and functions.
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Jock March – Royal NZ Artillery
It was into the Longbeach Station environment that Nathaniel March’s son’s Billy, Jock and Ted were drawn, following their father’s lead as they embarked on their working lives. All three were variously employed as labourers or teamsters (horse team driver / ploughman) at the Longbeach. Both Billy and Jock March also joined the local territorial Ashburton Rifle Volunteers which after national reorganisation of the volunteer and militia units in 1911 to form the Territorial Forces, became the 2nd (South Canterbury) Regiment, a territorial unit of part-time volunteers that could be added to and mobilised for service as required. Jock March, a Teamster at the time, had already made a decision to leave the land in favour of a full-time career with the Royal New Zealand Artillery (RNZA).
Jock applied to join the RNZA on 7 Sept 1912 and undertook the obligatory medical examination in Ashburton on 24 September. His work as a Teamster ensured he was in the peak of physical condition. The examining physician, Doctor George Lyon, noted Jock to be: 5ft 9ins (175 cms) tall, weighed 9st 10lb (62kg), with brownish eyes and brown hair, a dark complexion, and “looks younger than his stated age” – Jock was 20 years old. Passed “A Fit”, he was accepted into the RNZA as an Artillery Driver for employment at the Royal NZ Artillery Depot in Wellington.
Mobilisation
With clear evidence a war was looming in Europe, on the 1st of April 1913, Dvr. March was transferred to the Main Body of the Field Artillery Cadre as a Gunner (Gnr.). New Zealand supported Britain’s declaration of war on 4 August 1914 by committing an Infantry Brigade with supporting arms to the British Army. The Main Body of the NZ Expeditionary Force (NZEF) was duly formed from regular and territorial soldiers. These would be the first elements to be deployed and comprised four battalions of Infantry together with supporting Artillery, Engineers, Signals, Medical and Veterinary support. The various elements of the Main Body began to assemble at their respective home depots to sort out their manning requirements and to brush up their basic military skills.
The Field Artillery’s role would be to provide fire support for the Infantry battalions. The Main Body comprised some 8,000 soldiers, their horses, weapons and supporting equipment, all of which had to be ready for departure in just eight weeks.
2/195 Gunner John Nathaniel March was seconded to the NZEF in preparation for embarkation on 16 October 1914. A ten ship convoy would proceed to Freemantle in Western Australia where they would join with the Australian convoy of troopships before proceeding to England with an armed escort of battleships.
Off to war
All three brothers served overseas during World War 1. Gunner Jock March was the first to leave Longbeach for the Great War ‘adventure’, a full year ahead of his older brother Billy and two years ahead of Ted. Assigned to the No.1 Battery of the 1st NZ Field Artillery Brigade, Gnr. March embarked HMNZT 7 Limerick for overseas service at Wellington on 9 October 1914. The Artillery Brigade would be supporting the New Zealand Infantry Brigade wherever it was needed. That need, as they learned mid-voyage, was abruptly altered from their anticipated destination of England, to Alexandria in Egypt. The 1st NZ Field Artillery Brigade would soon be preparing for operations in Turkey, on the Gallipoli Peninsula.
Limerick transited the Suez Canal to arrive at Alexandria on 3 Dec 1914. Men, horses, the guns and all associated equipment required for the NZ Brigade to operate was unloaded onto the beach at Alexandria. A NZ Base Depot camp at Zeitoun, 9kms north of Cairo, was fully occupied with NZ mounted rifles units and so many of the men spent their first Christmas/New Year on foreign soil under canvas at Alexandria. It was during this time that Gnr. March presented with what appeared to be flu-like symptoms. On 9 Feb 1915 he was admitted to the NZ Field Ambulance at Alexandria with a persistent cough while also having some difficulty with his breathing. Four weeks later on 3 March, he was moved to the Base Depot camp at Zeitoun.
It was noted by the Field Ambulance staff that both of Gnr. March’s lungs appeared to be markedly affected by diminished capacity, he was emaciated, was losing weight, and had a capricious appetite – all hallmarks of TB – Tuberculosis! It was also noted that in the evenings he suffered from Pyrexia (increased body temperature; fever) but did not experience ‘night sweats” however his pulse was consistently rapid. Gnr. March remained under observation for a few weeks but did not show any significant improvement. A Medical Board of three military doctors at Zeitoun assessed Jock to be “suffering from Pulmonary Tuberculosis (TB), both lungs markedly involved” and recommended he be repatriated to NZ. He was deemed to have contracted the TB on military service and that “Exposure” (to a TB source of infection) was the cause. I would suggest the doctors were being as charitable as possible since the prognosis for Jock was “Not likely to become fit for any service.” In fact his condition even at that stage was considered to be “permanent”, in other words, his condition was terminal! The following day, Gnr. March was moved to the Zeitoun Convalescent Camp.
~ Lest We Forget ~
Jock March’s war was over scarcely before it had begun. The Gallipoli campaign had been underway for just three weeks by the time Gnr. March was moved by train to Suez, and depart for NZ on 1st April aboard HMNZT Tahiti. Arrival at Wellington on 15 May, Gnr. March was admitted to the Wellington Hospital in Newtown. Physicians agreed Jock be moved immediately to the Coronation Hospital in Christchurch which had opened in 1914 specifically for advanced cases of Tuberculosis.
It was soon apparent Jock March’s lungs were in terminal decline. He was released from Coronation Hospital and returned to Waterton where he was able to spend his last weeks in the care of his family. On 24 July 1915, 2/195 Gnr. John Nathaniel March died of Pulmonary Tuberculosis – he was 22. Jock March was buried at Waterton, the only official Commonwealth War Graves Commission grave in the Waterton Cemetery. Eight weeks after Jock’s death, his brother Billy embarked for service overseas.
Note: Both of Jock’s brothers served:
- 6/3090 Cpl. William Henry MARCH (1886-1959) – Canterbury Infantry Battalion – 7th Reinforcements. Private Billy March embarked in October 1915 and served in France and Belgium for 3 years and 212 days during which time he was wounded but returned to NZ safely at the end of the war. A Poultry Farmer and Linesman after the war, Bill died in Christchurch on 13 February 1959 aged 72 and was buried in a soldier’s grave in the RSA Section of the Ruru Lawn Cemetery in Christchurch. His wife Gladys lived another 40+ years as a widow, passing away in 1991 at the age of 93. Gladys Mabel Eleanor, nee HUMM, was buried in the Halswell Cemetery with her birth family. William and Gladys did not have any children.
- 34699 Cpl. John Edward March (1890-1966) – Canterbury Infantry Battalion – 20th Reinforcements. Private Ted March embarked in December 1916 and served in France for over 2 years and 257 days. In Sep 1917 he was wounded however recovered and returned home safely in July 1919. A Labourer all his life, Ted died in Ashburton on 3 October 1966 aged 76 and was buried with his wife Ethel May, nee HOUSTON (born at Waterton) predeceased him in 1946. John and Ethel did not have any children.
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Death remembered
Whilst Gnr. March had died in New Zealand, his parents were granted a Memorial Plaque in acknowledgement of their son’s sacrifice and as a tangible token to commemorate his death. The conditions of issue was not confined only to those who died overseas, but to all uniformed military service personnel whose death resulted from their service, whether on the battlegrounds or theatres of war, or in the Dominions of the Empire including death from accident or sickness. The Memorial Plaque went sent out was accompanied by a Memorial Scroll and a letter, the King’s Message with his facsimile signature.
The first item the next of kin of a deceased soldier or nurse generally received from the government was the soldier’s service medals. These often arrived months apart as the medals were manufactured in the UK and distributed by the War Office. On arrival in NZ, the medals had to be manually named before being dispatched to next of kin. Jock’s medals were received in 1920-21. These were followed up with a ‘Certificate of Services in the NZEF’ (or deceased soldiers only) sent to Jock’s father in June 1921. Finally, a Memorial Plaque, Memorial Scroll & King’s Message were the last items sent to the next of kin. These were dispatched to Waterton in October 1924, almost two years after Jock’s medals had been sent. Each plaque was individual cast in the UK with an embossed name (as opposed to engraving). With over a million plaques to be produced and issued to all contributing countries of the Empire, delays were inevitable. Jock March’s plaque was eventually dispatched to his father on 3 October 1924.
Medals: 1914/15 Star, British War Medals, 1914/18, Victory Medal + Memorial Plaque & Scroll.
Service Overseas: 225 days
Total NZEF Service: 345 days
Plaque reunited
The Privacy Act understandably prevented Craig Gidden of The Pawnshop (Blenheim Road) from disclosing any client details to me re the person who had pawned the Memorial Plaque as loan security, so there was no possibility to trace where the plaque had been or had been acquired by its owner. My path for reuniting the plaque with the March family descendant however was pre-determined. i still had the contact details on hand of the 2015 claimants of brother William Henry March’s medal. I once again made contact with Diana and Peter Humm** to advised them of John March’s ‘Death Penny’ turning up and would they like to add this to their collection of March family memorabilia. They did not need to be asked twice, and so off it went with the courier back to Christchurch into the hands of Jock’s descendant family. With any luck, John Nathaniel March’s memorial plaque will never again be seen/found on the open market, and remain where it belongs – with his March family descendants.
Note: ** Gladys Mabel Eleanor HUMM (1898-1991) married Jock’s brother Billy, making Peter Humm Jock’s grand-nephew. peter is also the first cousin, twice removed of Sophia Ann March, Nathaniel’s older sister who married Frederick HUMM.
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Thanks to Craig of the Pawnshop Blenheim Road for his thoughtfulness in bringing the plaque to our attention. It was pleasure to see it go where I know it will be treasured and well cared for hereafter.
The reunited medal tally is now 414.
